Radford University Police Department, Crisis Intervention Team

In a crisis situation or emergency in which there is an immediate threat of danger, the Radford University Police Department (RUPD) should be called. RUPD will dispatch officers to handle the situation and likely will call one of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) members on staff.

The CIT is compiled of highly skilled and highly trained police officers that function as part of the regular police patrol division. These officers receive 40 hours of specialized training in psychiatric diagnosis, suicide intervention, substance abuse issues, de-escalation techniques, the role of the family in the care of a person with mental illness, legal training in mental health and substance abuse issues, and local resources for those in a mental health crisis.

The trained CIT Officer is skilled at de-escalating crises involving people with mental illness, while bringing an element of understanding and compassion to these difficult situations.